Science
In my world of
veterinary medicine science is very important.
It decides what works and what does not.
I feel a bit like Don Quixote tilting at windmills with all of the
pseudoscience in the veterinary field.
There are days I think just grinding up some dandelions and calling them
a supplement and selling it for a profit of 50 bucks a bottle would be easier
than fighting it.
I recently had an
emergency call about a cut on an ear that was bleeding persistently. After we talked through things she could do
at home she asked if she should give the dog a well-known calming remedy that
is essentially water. It is a
homeopathic solution which in realist terms is something to treat the owner not
the dog. Part of the “don’t just stand
there, do something” technique.
Homeopathic
remedies are based on a discredited theory that like cures like. So they are herbs or substances that cause
the symptom that is being treated. As in
a substance that causes vomiting to help the body stop vomiting. The key in homeopathic remedies is that they
are diluted over and over and over and over (times 30) enough that there is NO
ingredient other than water in the remedy.
Not. Even. Kidding. Why anyone
would think that would help is clearly not versed either in what they are
giving or in science or both.
The most
aggravating part of this is that pharmacies carry homeopathic remedies right
next to real products. And some
veterinarians dispense (and charge for!) these products too. It is a huge for-profit scam. As a consumer I ask you to eschew such lunacy
and maybe even mention it to the pharmacy or veterinarian that the solution is
water or the tablets are just sugar and that it is inappropriate for them to
sell them to an uneducated public.
I feel it is
vital to be educated about your pet’s care (and your own) and not spend money
on quack remedies. Caveat emptor.
